Business Line Service Manager and InCube Expert Mentor
"Trying and failing is OK."
Martin Zlatanski doesn’t talk about leadership in terms of control or hierarchy.
He talks about trust. The kind that lets people grow into roles they’ve never held before.
“It wasn’t about being fully ready. It was about being trusted to figure it out.”
Dominique Stucki
R&D Lead Advanced Service Solutions
That’s how Martin describes his own journey at ABB. He was given responsibility for entire domains,
not because he had years of experience in them, but because someone saw potential.
That trust shaped him, and now, it shapes how he leads. His approach is human, intuitive, and quietly powerful.
He observes, listens, and nudges. Never pushes.
“People don’t like being told what to do,” he says. “But they thrive when you show them what’s possible and give them the confidence to try.”
Martin’s view of innovation is just as grounded. Having spent over a decade in research,
he knows what it means to chase big ideas.
But now, in service operations, he’s learned that innovation often looks different.
“Innovation isn’t always about technology.
Sometimes, it’s about how we work. How we solve problems faster.
How we adapt. How we collaborate.”
Dominique Stucki
R&D Lead Advanced Service Solutions
He sees value in the small things: leaner processes, better communication, more flexibility.
“There’s no magic tool that fixes everything,” he says. “It’s about people. It’s about how we show up for each other.”
That belief in people runs deep. Martin still remembers the students he mentored during his time in ABB’s research center,
many of whom went on to become PhDs, professors, or leaders in global tech companies.
“They still talk about their time at ABB as pivotal. Not just for the technical skills, but for how they learned to lead meetings, take ownership, and think critically.”
Dominique Stucki
R&D Lead Advanced Service Solutions
Some of those former students are now close friends. “That’s the kind of impact that lasts,” he adds.
As an expert mentor in the InCube Challenge, Martin brings that same philosophy into the cube.
He’s careful not to steer teams too strongly, even when asked for advice. “The magic happens when they find their own path.”
His advice to this year’s students is simple but profound: trust your instincts, but stay open. “Balance your intuition with external input. And don’t forget the real-world impact: social, environmental, and commercial. A great idea is only great if it solves a real problem.”
Martin’s story is one of quiet courage. The kind that builds teams, shapes careers, and inspires innovation not through grand gestures,
but through trust, empathy, and belief in others
